Happy Halloween!!

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I know its been awhile! We have been keeping busy between helping my parents move into their lake house, working, and planning for our Halloween Party time flies!  Speaking of which we had such a great time with our friends.  Here are a few things we made.

Monster Toes

Recipe Ingredients:

Cocktail wieners
6-inch tortillas
Ketchup or mustard
Toothpicks
Directions
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut a wedge into the end of each cocktail wiener to make a toenail.
2. Cut the tortillas into strips about 4 inches long and 3/4 inch wide. Discard the ends.
3. Soften the strips in the microwave between damp paper towels for 10 to 30 seconds.
4. Roll each wiener in a tortilla strip and secure with a toothpick.
5. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes. Remove them from the oven, then fill the toenail with ketchup or mustard.
**adapted from Family Fun magazine

Finger Food

( Pardon the pun I know it sounds cheesy...sorry couldn't help it!)

These were so much fun to make!

 Ingredients

Mozzarella string cheese
Green bell pepper
Cream cheese
Instructions

*Wearing plastic gloves or sandwich bags over your hands to keep the cheese as smudge-free as possible, use a paring knife to cut each string in half and then carve a shallow area for a fingernail just below the rounded end of each half.
*Mark the joint right below the nail as well as the knuckle joint by carving out tiny horizontal wedges of cheeses.
*For the fingernails, slice a green bell pepper into 3/8-inch-wide strips. Set the strips skin side down on your work surface and trim the pulp so that it's about half as thick. Then cut the strips into ragged-topped nail shapes and stick them in place at the ends of the fingers with dabs of cream cheese.
**adapted from Family fun magazine

Edible Eyeballs

These were a hit!  Who doesn't love pudding pops?  I found a new use for plastic Easter eggs they made perfect molds for this recipe.

Ingredients

3.4-ounce box vanilla pudding mix
Jelly beans
LifeSavers Gummies
Plastic eggs
2 empty egg cartons

Instructions

*Prepare the pudding according to the package directions. For each eye, fit a jelly bean into the center of LifeSavers Gummies candy and place it in a plastic egg half.
*Fill the egg cup with the pudding, then place the egg halves in an egg carton in the freezer until they're firm (about 3 hours).
*Remove the egg halves from the freezer and let them sit at room temperature for about 3 to 5 minutes.
*With the back of a fork, gently press down on the edge of the pudding, rolling the frozen ball out of the egg cup. If you're not serving them right away, place the eyes in a freezer-safe dish in the freezer until you're ready.
**adapted from Family Fun magazine

Gina's Cheesy Witch Hat

I have been asking my friend Gina to share her cheese ball recipe for years.  For every occassion we ask her to make this recipe there are never any left overs.  This year she out did herself.  Isn't she creative?  It WAS to cute to eat but of course we are never shy so we had to eat it!

Ingredients:
2 (8 oz.) packages of cream cheese soften

1/2 cup butter soften
1 (.7 ounce) package of italian salad dreesing mix
10 ounces (2 1/2 cups) Cheddar Cheese shredded

Combine all ingredients and refridgerate. Once it has chilled, divide into two balls. One smaller than the other. Flatten the smaller ball out to make the brim of the hat, and shape the other ball into the hat.
I covered the cheese in fineyl chopped pecans, but the recipe calls for poppy seeds if you like them. Decorate to fit you own ghoulish taste. Have fun with it.

Gina's Spooktacular Mix

Gina makes this for every holiday and you just can't stop eating it.  Its so addicting.
1 jar of party peanuts
1 bag of candy corn
1 bag of M&M's
Mix all ingredients together and serve.  These bag great gifts for friends and co-workers.  I made some for my husband and I to take to work.

Thank you Gina for all of your help with our Halloween Party and for sharing your recipes!

Oreo Truffles

My sister and my neice and nephew (Lance, below) help make these truffles.  The kids had fun smashing the oreos.

1 pkg of oreo cookies

1 (8oz) pkg cream cheese

Crush oreos and add cream cheese and mix well.  Roll into balls and chill.  After they have chilled dip them in melted chocolate and decorate.

My sister and her friend Brittany made some halloween treats for their friends below are some ideas.

 

Everyone have a safe and happy Halloween!!

Penne Macaroni with Peppers and Grilled Chicken

I found this recipe on the box of Heartland Whole Wheat Pasta box and it looked very yummy and quick to fix. I took a few short cuts I used Tyson refrigerated chicken breasts and jarred roasted red peppers.

13.25 oz Heartland Whole Wheat Penne
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup sweet onions, diced
4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 oz fresh basil, chopped
1 cup (8oz) chicken, grilled and sliced
into strips.
1 cup roasted red peppers, diced
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Salt and cracked black pepper to taste

• Cook the Penne according to pkg directions.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat;add onions and garlic;cook until onions are transparent.
• Add basil, chicken and red peppers
• Cook 2 more minutes
• Add chicken broth and hot Penne to skillet and toss together until all the ingredients are evenly distributed.
• Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper as needed.
• Serve immediately. serves 5-7

Salisbury Steak

II have never made Salisbury steak before but I had one of those "I can crave it so bad I can taste it" moments. I just happen to be in line at the grocery store and I was flipping thru Paula Deens magazine and came across this easy recipe and all the ingredients were already in the cart....see it was meant to be! As soon as I put the groceries away I began making this...I couldn't wait I didn't even make green beans with it! Salisbury steak and mashed potatoes...how comforting. I thought about after I ate it but I should of served with the steak over the mashed potatoes. Yummmy!!
Ingredients:
2 lbs ground chuck
2Tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbs prepared horseradish
2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 (8oz.) pkg. sliced baby bella mushrooms
2 Tbs all-purpose flour
1 (10.5 oz ) can french onion soup
1 (10.5 oz) can beef consumme

• In a lg bowl, combine ground chuck, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, garlic, salt & pepper. Form mixture into 6 patties.
• Heat a lg skillet over med heat. Add patties, in batches if necessary, and cook for 5 to 6 minutes per side, or until browned. Remove patties from pan; set aside.
• Reserve 2Tbs. drippings in skillet. Add mushrooms to skillet and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until tender. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, for two minutes.
• Stir in soup and consumme. Return patties to pan, bring to a simmer.
• Simmer, uncovered, for 3o to 4o minutes or until patties are cooked through and sauce is thickened. Serve immediately.
• Serves 6 ( I cut recipe in half since its just hubby and I)

adapted from Paula Deen magazine (sept/oct 2009) p.55

Portuguese Shrimp

Wow! I can't believe we are in September! Where did the month of August go? It's been awhile since I have posted we have been so busy. I got to experience a concert with my six year old niece, Saige...I will never be the same again! We went to see the Jonas Brothers...rock on! My parents just purchased a Lake House for the whole family to enjoy. We are so excited but of course they put us all to work Labor Day weekend. I can't wait until we all start cooking together. Which reminds me....my mother used to make this recipe all the time growing up. Its quick and easy and soooo tasty.

Ingredients:
24 lg. shrimp
1 tsp. brandy extract
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. lemon pepper
2 cans (8oz) tomato sauce
2 tsp. A-1 steak sauce
2 med green peppers (diced)
2 med red pepper (diced)
4 green onion sliced
1 TBS. onion flakes
Cooked rice

• Combine brandy, ginger, lemon pepper, shrimp together and marinate 20 minutes.
• In a skillet add tomato sauce and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then add shrimp.
• Do not over cook shrimp.
• Serve over rice.

All-American Patty Melt

I was craving some comfort food and I was flipping thru some cookbooks and came across Rachael Rays Top 30 Comfort foods. Perfect I thought and it will be done in thirty minutes! My favorite part....I have told you before my husband is a picky eater...so I didn't tell him what I was making he assumed I was making hamburgers. When we sat down for dinner he raised his eyebrow and looked at me and said "I don't know about this?" Give me a high five! I scored!!! He loved it! Now if I can just talk him into Turkey & Wild Mushroom Meatloaf Patties I'll have another recipe to share.
Ingredients:
1 lb. ground sirloin
2 rounded Tbsp dill pickle relish
2 Tbsp steak sauce
1 Tbsp Montreal steak seasoning (McCormick)
2 tsp. sweet paprika
A drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp butter, divided
1 lg. onion, thinly sliced
8 slices rye, white, or pumpernickel bread
8 deli slices Swiss Cheese

• Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
• Mix meat and relish, steak sauce, steak seasoning, and paprika. Divide meat and form 4 large, thin patties.
• Add oil to pan and cook burgers 3 or 4 minutes on each side. Take patties out and add another drizzle of oil and 1 Tbsp butter. When butter has melted into oil, fry onions until just tender, 5 minutes. Slide onions onto patties.
• Return pan to the stove and add the 1 Tbsp butter and 2 slices of bread. Top each bread slice with another slice of bread and press the patty melts together. Cook 2 or 3 minutes on each side to set the sandwich and toast the bread.
• Add remaining tablespoon butter to pan and repeat process to make 2 more sandwiches. Cut sandwiches from corner to corner.
• Serves 4
  

Apricot Squares

My father loves apricots. When I came across this recipe it made me think of him so of course I baked a batch and brought him a plate full. Did I mention I am his favorite? ;)
This recipe can be easily adapted you could use any flavor of preserves. If your like me you have a few jars in the refrigerator what a great way to use them and make room for more condiments!
Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp lemon extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
4 tsp grated orange peel
1tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Filling:
1 jar (18oz) apricot preserves
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp grated lemon peel

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Beat in egg and extract.
• Combine flour, orange peel, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.
• Set aside one-third of mixture for the topping.
• Press remaining dough into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan.
• Combine preserves, lemon juice and peel; spread evenly over crust.
• Crumble reserved dough over filling. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into squares.
• Yields: 2 dozen

adapted from Taste of Home Bake Sale 2009 pg.8

Slow Cooker Pulled BBQ Pork

Hello everyone! Sorry its been so long. I meant to post some recipes while I was away on vacation but I got the flu and food was the last thing on my mind.

I made this recipe last week and it was the easiest and quickest meal ever! I put the ingredients together in the morning and in the evening instant meal!

1 (3lb.) pork shoulder (I used picnic)

1 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce

1 small onion chopped

Combine all ingredients in crock pot and cook on low for 7-10 hours. When done shred the meat and serve!